According to SN&R, You know you're a Sacramentan when ...

The cover article published in today's Sacramento News & Review, titled "You know you’re a Sacramentan when …: 100 miscellaneous things that define us and our region," includes one "thing" ― lucky number 13 ― that relates to homelessness.

Here it is:

13. … you have nicknames for the homeless people in your neighborhood.

Sacramento gained international media attention in 2009 because of its Depression Era-like tent city. So, naturally, our ever-considerate city government shut it down, kicked homeless campers out of the vacant property and didn’t establish a new place for them to go. Many were forced to sneakily find a new home every night in front of closed buildings on J Street, along the river or in the alley behind my apartment. Although I enjoy seeing Gandalf the Grey merrily ride his bicycle through my neighborhood nearly every morning, I wish he had a comfortable, warm place to call home. Unfortunately, he may have to migrate to a new city for that kind of help. (J.K.)

Hmm. Mostly good sentiment, I guess. Of course, the mayor and city government aren't quite as Machiavellian as pithy statements in local media present them. And I'm not keen on homeless people being cartooned or Steinbeckitized into funny foolish foils, otherwise this crisp bit of social doggerel is Right On!

"J.K.," by-the-by, is Jenn Kistler, but I call her Smurf Girl, who happily drinks martinis as she weaves her way up Del Paso Boulevard on her skateboard.

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